Britain's Prince Harry, his wife Meghan, and her mother were involved in a "near catastrophic" car chase with press photographers after attending an awards ceremony in New York, Harry's spokesperson said on Wednesday. The incident involved "a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi" in half a dozen cars with blacked-out windows, driving dangerously and putting the lives of the couple and Doria Ragland in danger, the spokesperson said. "This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers," the spokesperson said in a statement.
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Pictures on social media show Harry, Meghan, and her mother sitting in the back of a New York taxi which their spokesperson said showed "a small glimpse at the defense and decoys required to end the harassment". Media reported the couple had switched to the taxi to try and shake off the photographers after the car they left the Ziegfeld Ballroom in midtown Manhattan in was pursued.
The couple's spokesperson said the chase on Tuesday could also have been fatal and involved paparazzi driving on the sidewalk, running red lights, and driving while taking pictures. Those involved were confronted by police officers multiple times, according to the spokesperson.
The couple, who live in California with their two young children, had been staying at a private residence but decided against returning there as they did not wish to compromise their host's safety, according to their spokesperson.
